Closed Circle
by abete rosso
Summary: Over the years the Doctor meets one woman over and over never having the opportunity to make acquaintance with her. What happens when he does?


First time he notices her she's walking out of the little gift shop and he can't put his finger on why he noticed her at all. She has long black curly hair falling freely on her shoulders. She turns around for second scanning the crowd and walks in the direction on the river, away from the center of the town and noisy celebration. It's Europa, the planet on the brink of the 2000th century, just a few more hours to go. She blends in easily and probably that's what captures his attention. Some stranger steps on his feet and apologizes immediately but the moment distraction is all it takes for him to lose her. With one last look he turns and goes back to the TARDIS with only an indistinct image of a long black coat flapping around her legs as she walks through the crowd.

* * *

He's in the middle of dealing with another invasion when he sees her next. It's Earth and it's the Kronons, ugly little creatures living their life thriving on strong emotions and what a better place for them to go than a world full of humans? He's running for his life and for once is glad he doesn't have a companion, no way would he or she be able to keep up with him in this race. Still, respiratory bypass or not, he's nearly out of his breath when a strong arm catches him and pulls into a dark hallway. "You'll be safe here," his rescuer tells him in a hushed voice and lets go of him. He's too surprised to ask a question and by the time he gathers himself he's alone again. The door he was just dragged through is deadlock sealed. When he finally manages to get out the aliens are dealt with already and peace is restored so he just makes his way to meet the one who actually called him in the first place. As he enters the room he sees a familiar figure saying her goodbyes to the Face of Boe. "Take care next time," she tells him and disappears in a flash of light. A moment too late he recognizes the voice of his rescuer and feels slapped as he realizes he didn't see her face again.

* * *

He's bored which is an unlikely state for the Time Lord. Sorting out his previous companion's things is even more unlikely. But probably it's time to do this job. He doesn't need to really. The TARDIS is big enough to accommodate every companion's room and still have plenty spare ones left, but it's nice in a weird sort of way to go through al those people's stuff and remind him of them once in, say, a few centuries…

He's bored and nostalgic which is an even more unlikely state for this Time Lord so he makes a trip he wanted to make for a long time. It always amazed him how come "Bad Wolf" appeared in all those places. Especially how it ended up as a name for the Bad Wolf, previously known as Media Universe, Corporation and what happened to make the change. Rose, of course, is one easy answer, but somehow he always felt like it was the beginning of the whole message thing there on Satellite 5. With a last turn of the lever he sends the TARDIS to Earth.

The headquarters are easy to find and in no time with the help of his psychic paper he gets to the president's office. He walks in casually, breaths in ready to start talking but stops dead in his tracks.

She's sitting at the large desk surrounded by reports and other office nonsense. There's no coat and her hair are no longer black, but he's sure it's her.

"Can I help you?" she asks an then glances at him and shiver runs down his spine as he meets these brown eyes, so old on this young face.

'Oh," she breaths out. "Thought you'd come one of these days," she adds after a pause.

"Who?…Why?" is all he can ask her.

She looks at him then, really looks and he stumbles at the sadness in her gaze. Something tells him he doesn't want to know.

"You still can turn around and go," she answers his unspoken thoughts as if she can hear them loud and clear. Probably she does. "You won't feel me in your mind," she tells him next moments before the thought even registers in his mind.

"How do you know?" he asks face concerned.

"We've tried this before," she says. "Next you I think," she clarifies and smiles and it is the most terrifying thing he's ever seen. Her face is young, skin smooth and grin cheeky, but those eyes, those deep fathomless eyes burn with their infinite sadness are in such dissonance with the picture he involuntarily steps back.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asks quietly.

"I am Bad Wolf. I create myself," she says bitterly and throws a stack of papers at him. It lands in a heap on the floor and he bends slowly to pick one up.

It reads 'Re-branding project for "Media Universe Corporation" ' and he can't read anymore as he turns to stare at the woman in front of him. She stands up and moves to the hanger.

"It's done, name changed and finally, the circle is closed," she pulls her black coat on. "Please, put them on the desk when you leave. I need to see Jack," she pauses and shakes her head. "Face of Boe… whatever." With this she opens the door and leaves.

The Doctor, stunned, pulls his glasses slowly form his pocket and puts them on. His eyes run along the lines of the document currently in his hands and when he's finished with it he picks up the next page, and then the next and the next. He reads frantically until he reaches the last one and stops dead at the bottom of the page.

_ Rose Badwolf, President "Media Universe Corporation"._


End file.
